Umbilical clamp and cutter



N. M. WHITTAKER UMBILICAL CLAMP AND CUTTER Oct. 3, 1950 Filed May 28, 1948 FIG. 1.

L W v Patented Oct. 3 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UMBILICAL CLAMP AND CUTTER Neil M. Whittaker, St. Petersburg, Fla. Application May 28, 1948, Serial N 0. 29,679

3 Claims.

This invention relates to surgical instruments, and more particularly to an instrument for clamping and cutting the umbilical cords of newborn infants.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved instrument for simultaneously clamping the umbilical cord of a new-born infant at two spaced points and cutting the cord between the clamped points, whereby the operation of separating the infant from the cord may be accomplished rapidly, without bleeding and without requiring subsequent tying of the cord.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved combined double clamp device and cutter for the umbilical cord of a new-born infant wherein the clamp elements of the device are detachable from the cutting portion of the device so that said cutting portion may be removed after having accomplished its purpose, leaving the clamp elements clamped to the severed ends-of the umbilical cord, and so that further tyin of the cord is unnecessary, the device providing a much faster and efficient severance of the cord than may be accomplished by the methods and apparatus heretofore employed.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a combined umbilical cord cutter and clamp device constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the jaws of the holder in opposition rather than in open position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged end view of the device of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the device of Figure 1 taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the portion of the device shown in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a view of the forward portion of the device of Figure 1 shown in open position immediately prior to clamping and cutting an umbilical cord.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view similar to Figure 3 but illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, H and I2 designate forceps arms pivotally connected together at 13 by a rivet or bolt. The forceps arms are provided at their rear ends with the respective finger-engaging eyes it and I5. The forward end of arm ll comprises a lower jaw member I6 having secured to its top edge an elongated cutting blade ll.

The forward end of arm i2 comprises an upper jaw member l8 formed at its lower edge with a longitudinal groove [3 of substantial depth in which the top portion of blade ll is receivable. As shown in Figure 2, blade I i has a bevelled cutting edge which shearingly cooperates with a side wall of the groove l9.

Secured to the opposite sides of jaw member I6 are the respective longitudinally extending channelled spring clip elements 2! and 22 and secured to opposite sides of jaw member iii are the respective similar longitudinal channelled spring clip elements 23 and 2:1. Designated at 25 and 26 are clamp jaws pivotally connected together at 2'! by a rivet or the like, and formed with respective inwardly-extending longitudinal headed ribs 28 and 29 resiliently clamped in the respective clip elements 23 and 24. Designated at 38 and 3| are similar clamp jaws pivotally connected together at 32 by a rivet or the like and formed with longitudinal headed ribs 33 and 34 resiliently clamped in the respective clip elements 24 and 22. The clamp jaws are slidably adjustable with respect to the resilient clip elements and are normally arranged so that rivets 21 and 32 are axially aligned with rivet or bolt l3, as shown in Figure 4.

The upper clamp jaws 25 and are formed at their ends with depending inwardly facing resilient hooked fingers 35 and 36 and the lower clamp jaws 26 and 3! are formed at their ends with outwardly facing recesses in which the resilient depending fingers 35 and 35 are respectively receivable, the inner wall surfaces of the recesses being formed respectively with outwardly facing ratchet teeth, shown at 37 and 38 which are lockingly engageable with the heads of the respective depending fingers 35 and 36. The gripping surfaces of the respective clamp jaws are suitably serrated, as shown at 39, to provide a firm grip on the umbilical cord.

In employing the instrument, the forceps arms I I and I2 are separated to open the clamp jaws to expose the blade H, as shown in Figure 5. The umbilical cord is positioned between the jaws, as shown at 40 and the handles l4 and I5 are then brought together. The clamp jaws clamp the cord on both sides of the blade while the blade severs the cord. The clamp jaws 25 and 26 are locked in clamping position by the interlocking of the resilient hooked finger 35 with the ratchet teeth 3'! and at the same time the clamp jaws 3D and 3| are locked by the interlocking of finger 36 with ratchet teeth 38. The intermediate portion of the instrument may then be removed by disengaging the spring clips 23, 24, 2! and 22 rear wardly from the respective ribs 28, 33, 29 and 34, leaving the severed ends of the umbilical cord clamped by the jaws, whereby no further tying of the umbilical cord is necessary.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 6, the cutting blade is shown at H and is secured to the end of lower jaw member l6, extending at right angles thereto into a recess l9 formed in the end portion of upper jaw member l8. In the embodiment of Figure 6, the jaw members are provided with spring clips such as shown at 2! and 23, similar to those in the previously described embodiment of the invention, said clips being employed to releasably hold the ribs, such as 28 and 29, of the respective clamps. The clamps are the same in construction as those employed in said previously described embodiment. In using the modified device of Figure 6, said device is positioned with the open jaws of the respective clamps receiving the umbilical cord on opposite sides of the point at which the cord is to be cut, the cord being positioned rearwardly of the cutting blade H. The umbilical cord is then clamped by bringing the forceps handles together and then is cut by moving the intermediate portion of the instrument rearwardly with respect to the clamps, whereby the blade ll severe the cord.

It will be noted that the jaw members 88 and. 56 are spaced apart at all times and do not press on the umbilical cord at any time, thereby permitting the intermediate portion of the instrument to be freely removed as above described.

While certain specific embodiments of surgi cal instrument for clamping and cutting an umbilical cord have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications may occur to those skilled in the art, within the spirit of the invention. There" fore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An instrument for clamping and cutting the umbilical cords of new-born infants comprising a first arm, a second arm, means pivotally connecting said arms at their intermediate portions to define opposed jaw members, longitudinal cutting blade carried by said first arm at its inner edge, the second arm being formed at its innor edge with a longitudinal groove in which the blade is receivable, longitudinal spring clips carried on opposite sides of the respective arms ad- 4 x jacent the blade, and respective pairs of pivoted clamping jaws formed with longitudinal ribs detachably received in said clips, each pair of clamping jaws being provided with interengaging ratchet members locking the clamping jaws in clamping position.

2. An instrument for clamping and cutting the umbilical cord of new-born infants comprising a first arm, a second arm, means pivotally connecting said arms at their intermediate portions to define opposed jaw members, a outing blade carried at the inner edge of the end portion of said first arm, the second arm being formed at its inner edge with a recess in which said blade is receivable, longitudinal spring clips carried on opposite sides of the respective arms adjacent the blade, respective pairs of pivoted clamping jaws, each member of the respective pairs of clamping jaws being formed with a headed longitudinal rib lockingly receivable in one of the sring clips, one

I member of each pair of clamping jaws having an inwardly extending hooked spring arm and the other member being formed with ratchet teeth lockingly engageable said spring arm to retain the clamping jaws in clamping position.

3. An instrument for clamping and cutting the umbilical cords of new-born infants comprising a first arm, a second arm, means pivotally connecting said arms at their intermediate portions to define opposed jaw members, a cutting blade carried by said first arm at its inner edge, the sec-- ond arm being formed with a recess in which the blade is receivable, a pair of pivoted clamping jaws positioned on opposite sides of said arms, each of said clamping jaws being provided with interengaging ratchet members locking the clamping jaws in clamping position, and interengaging means on a side of each of said pairs of clamping jaws and the adjacent side of saidarms for detachably securing the pairs of clamping jaws to said arms.

NEIL M. WHITTAKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

